This invention relates to rotary rakes.
I have found that very large rotary rakes can be useful in the raking of large timbers.
Such a rake includes a plurality of pin wheels (i.e. rake wheels) of large diameter each conventionally of the same diameter and positioned in a parallel but overlapping relationship, each supported by an independently moveable crank arm, and the crank arms collectively held by a support frame which is drawn by an appropriate vehicle.
In such an arrangement, each pin wheel has a plurality of circumferentially spaced fingers extending radially outwards from a hub portion.
The advantage of using fingers is that these will allow timbers to be caught while allowing a significant proportion of soil to pass there through.
The problem to which this invention is directed is, however, the problem that, when the rake is being used for timber, there is a consistent probability that some of the timbers will be jammed between the fingers of any one pin wheel.
This can have the effect of their being raised and jammed against either a part of the frame or an adjacent pin wheel, thus stopping that particular pin wheel from rotating and the whole raking operation becoming significantly less effective until the blockage is cleared.
This has normally meant that the operator must stop pulling the rake, achieved access to the rake pin wheels, and then by whatever means are possible, hit or pull or lever the jamming log free from the fingers.
It will be readily realised the significant advantage of using such rotary rakes for the raking of large timbers is lost if there is a continuing need to effect such clearing, which can be both time consuming and, arduous to an operator.